N8.vy ships open for tours SH2 Sea Sprite heiicopter, Also docked at the pier are Continued from page A· I equipped with sonar to detect four Washington-based mines­ . weepers: the USS Excel, USS She also carries weapons to at­ In the Harold E. Holt's com­ Implicit, USS Gallant and USS tack ships or shore emplace­ bat information center, sailors Enhance named to reflect the ' ments up to 50 miles from her point out an 8-by-10-inch photo­ special qualities they and ~eir I. guns' muzzles. Her r:egular graph of a Soviet V2 , crews must have to enter mmed radar, limited to 20 miles of proudly explaining how the ship waters. range, is often supplemented by helped force the submarine to They are built with _non-m~g­ airborne radar readings for long­ the Pacific Ocean's surface when netic materials to av01d settmg distance firing. the underwater craft ventured off mines sensitive to the metal The ship draws its power from too closely to American ships hulls of most ships. two nuclear reactors, allowing during naval operations 18 These ships were built in the her to spend up to 90 days at sea months ago. 1950s with double wooden hulls - without being resupplied. Crew The Holt, named in honor of up to 18 inches thick in some sec­ members sometimes joke, the late Prime Minister of Aus­ tions. though, that after 70 da~s ~e tralia, uses the Australian ensign Instead of cutting through the food is not as good as they d hke - the Southern Cross on a blue water and heavy seas like the it to be. . field, with the Union Jack in its larger ships, they bob on its sur­ The ship was lauched in 1964 upper right comer-as its battle face, much like a cork. In rough and served several tours of duty flag. water the Implicit's motto - in . The Australian koala bear - transl~ted from Latin to Wooden Both the USS Brewton and the painted on doors and in th~ fo~ Ships, Iron Men -comes to have USS Harold E. Holt, two of 46 of tiny, stuffed mascots -1s VlSl· special meaning. fast frigates originally designed ble throughout the ship. The ships' bridges feature by tire Navy for anti-submarine The Brewton is the only Navy cloth roofs, removed during warfare are also' open for tours. vessel named for a sailor. John sweep operations so if a mine is With the ships' recent addition Brewton was killed in Vietnam, set off, the crew will be blown off of Anti-Surface missile while serving with with the a vessel instead of into some­ systems - permitting them to Navy's elite commando unit. thing. B~low decks, the ceilings now fill a surface warfare role - According to the Brewton's are padded. they also protect amphibious or captain, Commander R.D. support forces, serve ~~ a coastal Homer, one of the ship's proud­ But exploding mines is their defense and escort m1htary con­ est moments came when she mission. Working in formations, voys. - bore the unknown serviceman's the ships use a variety of means The fast frigates' principal ar­ body from the Vietnam conflict to set off the explosive traps, de­ mament consist of anti-subma­ between Pearl Harbor and Ala­ signed to explode when a ship rine torpedoes, which can be meda, Calif., from where it was passes nearby. launched with a variety of deliv­ then taken to Washington, D.C. The weapons, which follow ery systems. The ships are part of the Third several designs, detect ships The 5,IJOO.ton warships boast Fleet's , Destroyer Group through either the approaching 5lf2-inch bow guns, each ~pable Three, based in Pearl Harbor, vessels' magenetism, actual con­ of firing 34 rounds per mmute at and are intended to offset a So­ tact with the ships, or through a maximum range gf 10 miles. viet military buildup in the North the sound of their m:opellers. On each ship's stern sits an Pacific. ""' .

photo . d the flags of the USS Truxtun for 'Ore:>s Ship'- Signalmannv3rwdhCelraessa~~':t'eS!~ipus' ft~egr:r~s displayed at once, during special occasion! -r a ceremo · l~~~'i$e> wt~ Navy ships offer residents by Karen Robin is to say, he was selected as a 11mes Writer Free shuttle buses set to ship riders crewman for the ship and if it is view of military life at sea When the USS Gallant sailed ever called into active duty, he into the Port of Anchorage, one Times SCaff The bus service is sched­ will be aboard. From 1 to 4 p.m. today and troying targets up to 200 miles 11mesStalf of her crew was just catching a A free shuttle bus will be uled for 1 to 4:45p.m. today "I had the opportunity to go Sunday, the public will be wel· away. The u.s. Navy's visiting She is designed to defend ride back home. operating continuously be­ and Sunday. Buses will leave shore duty," he said, "but I don't ships provide local re~idents - come for tours aboard the "A lot of the guys think I'm tween Downtown and the Port from the corner of Third because I get tired just sitting in seven gun-metal-gray ships at aircraft carriers from surface accustomed to seemg and or air attack. The ship's Ter­ nuts" to fly on standby to Califor­ of Anchorage this weekend, Avenue and A Street to carry the classroom. At sea, you're hearing about the Army and the Port of Anchorage. city officials announced late passengers to the U.S. Navy working at your job, you're part The largest of the visiting rier guided missile system ~lso nia every month to put in Naval Air Force- with a first-hand can hit high-altitude, . high­ Reserve time, said Frederick R. Friday. flotilla visiting Anchorage. of the team." ships is the USS 'F~un,. a chance to see the hardware speed aircraft. Dietz of Anchorage. Flying Despite an age difference be­ and lifestyle of a rather differ- 9,1XXHon cruiser, bnsthng w1th See Navy, page A· 12 tween the mid-50ish Dietz and his guided missiles capable of des- standby is free, he said, but the . ent military service. travel time can take as long as sailed north for a week and a half Now, he flies to California shipmates, mostly in their 20s four days. ·to Portland. After a three-week once a month for weekend duty and ;n,, they get along· well. Dietz is in the U.S. Navy Re­ break, he caught up with his ship and once a year for his two-Week "I don't advertise my age on­ serve, and the trip to Anchorage again in Kodiak and sailed on tour of duty. board," he said. "I like to keep was part of his annual training into Anchorage. "But I enjoy it," he said, "and them guessil)g. If you told them obligation. Dietz became a resident of as long as you enjoy what you're everything, then they wouldn't He flew down to the San Fran­ Anchorage last year after five doing ..." have any reason to bug you." cisco Bay area to board the USS straight years of visiting family He has been a selected reserv­ Dietz has been in the military, Seattle firm Gallant, a minesweeper, and here. ist on the Gallant since 1974. That See Reservist, page B-2 Reservist returns was going to a movie one night signed to ~~ · Continued from page B-1 . ~ and I saw some activity in the ar­ mory. I just went in to see what off and on since World War II, was happening and I walked out repair dock when in 1944 he became an active a National Guardsman." naval reservist out of Boston, He stayed with the National by Ken O'Toole Mass., near his home in Law­ Guard, even while working two 11mes ~Writer rence. other jobs and raising a family of More than $1 million. worth of After 14 months of duty he six children with his wife. repairs and improvements are was released and two yP.ars later expected to begin soon on a Port he joined the Massachusettes When he moved to Palo Alto, of Anchorage dock damaged in National Guard. Calif., in 1957, he was discharged March by the ~foot-IQpg "They had a fast talker as a automatically from the National freighter Great Land. First Sergeant," he recalls. "I Guard. Jenson & Reynolds Construc­ He wanted to return to the tion Company of Everett, Wash., Navy, but found that "getting was awarded the job for its low Dock back into the reserves wasn't bid of $1.1 million. The firm is ex- . easy," because he had more de­ pected to submit signed con- Continued from page B-1 pendants than the normal three o.tracts, a performance bond and Take the bus~- that the reserve would pay for. insurance certificate to the port will include replacement of a Finally in 1974, two of his five by early next week, said Henry .number of dQCk power systems sons joined the Naval Reserve Hickey, port purchasing and con­ and replacement of a section of and the Naval Sea Cadets pro­ tracting officer. lifting crane trackS, he said. t~~~~"~:~.~~ gram. The work on Terminal No. 3 Five con,wanies had bid to re­ of visitors, the city will pro­ "I went down to sign for them must be completed by Oct. 31, pair the 'f>Ort's northernmost vide shuttle bus. service for and asked the Chief, 'What do according to the contract. But dock, which sustained damage to those who want to visit the you have for me?"' work must be.$1 soon for com­ at least 14 pilings when the Navy ships berthed at the When the recruiter found pletion of some'tof the work be­ freighter owned by Totem Ocean Port of Anchorage today and Dietz was a diesel mechanic, he cause of the higher tides that Trailer Express, Inc. rammed it Sunday. offered him a position. "We had appro~imately begin in late August and continue while trying to make an early "And that's when I joined the through late September, Hickey 13,000 to 15,000 people down morning U-tum in Cook Inlet. here, and cars parked from Gallant," Dietz said. He is an En­ said. An engineering report es­ the port to the railroad de­ gineman, 2nd Class. Repairs associated with ~e timated repairs would cost $2.34 pot," said Assistant Pqrt Di­ All of the minesweepers are in accident include removal of f1ve million. Bids ranged from a low rector Eric Morrison of the the reserves, rather than on ac­ different sections of concrete on of $1.1 million to a high of about situation Thursday. "We ha9 tive status in the Navy. A core the dock surface, piling removal $1.78 million. people walking better than a crew is assigned to each of the in three separate sections, re­ When the bids were found to mile to get here and we' had ships which train reservists. moval and replacement of tim­ be much lower than the esti­ cars backed up past the (Ship Those reservists put in long ber fenders and installation of mate, it was discovered that an Creek) bridge." days, working their posts eight steel pipe piiing, Hickey said. error had been made in the cal­ · The buses will run continu­ hours, followed by more duty on Twelve pilings were knocked culations and the engineering es­ ously between the city park­ . watch. out in the crash, and 18 will be re­ timate was revised, Hickey said. ing lot at Third-Avenue and A placed, said Eric. Morrison, as­ Port director Tyler Jones Street and the port from 1 sistant port director. Also wrote in an Anchorage Assembly p .m. to 4:45 p .m. both days, planned is the addition 9f two Yo­ memo that Totem is expected to Morrison said. kohama fenders- rubber float­ reimburse the city $836,438 for The navy ships, inclt1ding ing buffers - measuring 12 feet repairs resulting from the colli­ the guided missile cruiser by 21 feet. Other improvemen s sion, plu5 $131,130 for general USS Truxton, may be toured See Dock, page dock repairs and modifications. between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. ,,